Animal trap



April 1 1924.

G. H.. cmAwl-'ORD` ANIMAL TRAP FiledDec. 16. 1921 Patented Apr. l, 1924.

y tisana GEORG-E H. CRAWFORD; OF

MrDn'LETowN, new YORK. I

ANIMAL TRAP.

Application filed December 16,v 1921. Serial No. 522,838'l To all whom t may concern.'

Be it' known that I, GEORGE H. CRAW- FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inv Animal Traps, of which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to traps of the striking or deadfall'class, and it is more particularly designed for catching rats and other small animals. Y I

. The object of the invention is to lprovide a trap of this character which shall be extremelyfsensitive and reliable in operation, and of few parts economically manufactured and easily assembled.v

The invention consists incertain details of construction and arrangements of parts by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification, and show the invention as it has been carried out in practice.

'Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved trap, in the set condition. I

Figure 2 is a side view of thesame.

Figure 3 is a correspondingend view.

lFigure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken' on the line 4-4 in Figure 1, and partly in elevation.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectionv taken on the line 5--5 in' Figure 1, and partly in elevation.

Figure 6 is a verticalsection through a portion of the trigger mechanism detached from the trigger and on a larger scale.

Figure 7 is a similar view showing the corresponding portion of the trigger.l;

Similar reference numerals indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings. 8 is the base of the trap, preferably a plane rectangle of hard wood, formed by suitable machinery with a transverse groove 9 across the under face near the midlength, and with holes 10 near the side margins leading from the upper face to the groove. Similar but vsmaller holes 11 are provided nearer the centre line of the base.

In line with the groove 9 and above the upper face of the base, is a holder or bridge 12 of heavy wire having legs 13 extended throughythe marginal holes 10 and folded inwardly within Athe groove at 14 to resist withdrawal. At vthe .midle'ngththe bridge is offset horizontally at at 15 to formangular shoulders.

The striker 16 is a rectangular loop hav-- ingl its ends '17 bent to inclose the outerv portions of the bridge at opposite points nearthe legs 13 to form hinge joints upon which the striker may be folded upon the base at one end of the latter in the .set position and folded upon the base at the other end in the sprung positionV as indicated by dotted lines in Figure l. In thelatter position the arched connecting mem-4 ber 18 of the striker extends slightly beyond the base.

Between the shoulders of the oifset15- and the arms of the striker, on each side, is a helical torsional .wire spring 19 inclosing the bridge l2 and each having a leg 2O.` extending downwardly from the inner end. of the helix through one ofthe intermediate holes 1l into the groove 9 where itis bent at 21 to engage the-base and o-fl'er'a fixed anchor for the spring. The other end of each springjis continued as an arm22 alongside the adjacent member 16Qof .the v striker for a portion of rits length, `and inv the set .position its outwardly curved end lies beneath such member, so that the force of the springs tends to throw the striker,`

from the set -positionshownto the sprung position indicated by the dottedlines in On the bar of thefoffset 15 is loosely hinged a trigger 23 preferably of hard wood,fadapt ed to carry bait either in a cavity 24therein, or on a hook 25 to be described. The trigger is hingedfto the Yoii'set by a strip 26 of sheet metal lying upon the upper-face ofthe trigger, fextendingdown thevend adjacent to the offset and encircling the bar', as at 27 to form the hinge therewith, and thence upon the lower face of the trigger and is secured to the latter by a rivet 28 extending through the trigger and the ends of the strip.

At the centre in the hinged end of the trigger is a recess 29 receiving a boss 30 on the strip and is reinforced thereby, serving to engage detachably the free end of a trigger-rod 31 of wire hinged to a staple 32 at one end of the base on the centre line, which when thus engaged holds the striker down in the set position.. The trigger-rod lies in a slight depression 33 in the arched member 18 of the striker.

Atrigger 23 is raised and the end of the trigger-rod inserted in the boss 30. The upward thrust of the striker tends to lift the trigger and thus maintains the delicate engagement of the trigger-rod therewith, but as the boss 30 is close to and a little kabove the hinge of the trigger, an exceedingly slight pressure upon the trigger draws the bossfrom the trigger-rod, frees thelatter and permits the springs 19 to throw the striker intoV the sprung position. l Y

It will be noted that the several parts are are kdesigned to be economically produced by machinery and are easily assembled. The bridge 12 serves as a centre lforthe striker and holds the springs in lplace laterally between thestriker arms and offsetl, and the oii'set serves as a centre for the trigger and maintains the latter in position. Ihe trig- "ger-rod is secured to the base by simply driving the staple V32. By engaging the legs 13 of the bridge, and the legs 2O of the springs, in the groove 9, the legs are securely held and do not project on the under face of the base, thus permitting the base to be plane and lie firmly upon any Hat surface.

The hook is pivotally attached to the trigger ron the upper face with itsbait-arm lying in the same plane for convenience in packing, and is to be bent up as shown in dotted lines to hold bait -not adapted to be received in the cavity 24. 4

By lining the recess 29V with the hollow boss 30 of the strip 26, the recess, is adapted to withstand wear, and the contact of the end of the trigger-rod with thetmetal of the bossis nearly frictionless in respect to the release movement thus rendering the release action extremely sensitive.

I claim I p i A 1. In a device of the character set`forth, a base having a groove in its'unvder fa'ce and marginal holes extending from the upper face into such groove, a bridge on such upper face having ylegs extending through such holes with their ends bent to lie such groove, a striker mounted to swing on said bridge, and means for actuating said striker.

2. In a device of the character set forth, a base having a groove in its under face and marginal and intermediate, holes extending from such upper face into such groove, a bridge on such upper face having legs extending through such marginal holes with their ends bent to lie in such groove, a striker mounted to swing on said bridge, helical springsinelosingsaid bridge and having legs extendingvthrou'gh such intermediate holes with their ends bent to lie in such groove, and arms 4von said springs engaged with said striker. Y

3. In adeviceof the character set forth, a base`,abridge thereon having downwardly extending legs Yand an offset portion, a striker havingjits Vends pivotally joined to said bridgey adjacent said legs, oppositely located helical springs inclosing said bridge and arranged to actuate said striker, each spring lying between said offset and one of said striker-ends, a trigger hinged to said offset and supported entirely thereby, and a trigger-rod adapted to engage said trigger.

a. In ak device of the character set forth, a base having a transverse groove in its under face andV marginal and intermediate holes extending from the upper face into such groove, a bridge on such upper face having downwardly projecting legs extending through such marginalvholes and engaged in such groove, a central offset portion in said bridge, a Vstriker having its ends pivotally joined to said bridge adjacent said legs, oppositely located helical'springs inclosing said bridge fand arranged to actuate said striker, each spring lying between said offset and one Vof said striker-ends and each having a leg extending througho'ne of such intermediate holes and engaged in such groove, and a trigger-rod adapted to engage said trigger. n i

' In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth IV aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.V Y

GEORGE I-I. CRAWFORD. Witnesses:

E. T. IIANFORD, II. M. CRAWFORD. 

